Fragments of Love
by Fbiloveemandhotch
Summary: Some times actions speak louder than words, some times the damage can be irreparable. Some times is too late to say I am sorry. Can love be enough this time? ( AU from the actual CM plot, different order of events. Set at the beginning of season 3 only Emily has been at the BAU for three years already and Jack is 4 years old. Story will run way different than the actual show.
1. Chapter 1

Fragments of Love

Chapter 1: The Break Up

" _ **There is always tension between the possibilities we aspire to and our wounded memories and past mistakes" Sean Brady**_

Emily stepped out of her car in the almost empty parking lot for the coffee shop, the cold breeze hitting her face as soon as she stepped out. It was almost seven in the evening, and she was still wearing her sunglasses; maybe she was trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. She walked across the parking lot feeling a mixture of melancholy, anger and frustration all at once. She almost didn't show up to meet him…she literally stopped twice on the way there to convince herself she was doing the right thing.

It felt weird meeting him like this, away from D.C., away from their family and friends, like it was something prohibited…it had not been in a long time. Yet, she felt like this was something that needed to be done away from everyone's eyes. She walked into the coffee shop and spotted the dark-haired man sitting at a table in the far corner of the little restaurant. She sighed and made her way to the one man who used to comfort her at night, but seemed so frightening to her now. This should not hurt as much as it did; yet, it was killing her to stand here in front of him.

"Hey, I ordered you some coffee." Aaron said, when she sat down at the table.

"Thank you." She said as she pushed her glasses back revealing her dark eyes that were now red and glistening. He knew she had been crying probably all the way to the coffee shop, and he hated himself for making her do that. Lately, he had been doing that a lot.

"Thanks for meeting me." Aaron said, because he didn't know how else to start.

Emily didn't answer but just looked down; he could see the tears in her eyes threatening to fall again. She distracted herself by taking a sip of the coffee he had ordered for her… she almost smirked, he had ordered her a triple cinnamon latte, with skim milk. Just like she liked it, he knew her so well and yet he still didn't know much.

He hated that they had to meet at some random coffee shop away from everyone's eyes like they were doing something wrong. He hated that he could not meet her at her place, or his like a normal couple as they had in the past. He hated that they could not have a conversation without it ending in an argument and her walking away crying. He hated that he could not hold her in his arms like he wished he could…like he once used to and simply kiss her breathless and tell her how much he loved her. Unfortunately, that had not worked in a very long time, actions were louder than words right now. He remembered that he used to make her laugh so hard, but now it only seemed that he only knew how to make her cry. How in the hell had everything gotten so messed up? Why had he allowed this to happen?

"I hate to see you like this." He said sadly, looking at her examining her nervous behavior.

"So, you wanted to talk?" Emily said boldly, ignoring his statement.

"Em, really, I wish I could show you how much you mean to me, I just wish you could just see that." He sighed.

Emily smirked shaking her head, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Not enough for you to keep _**her**_ from getting in our way, right?"

"I _love you,_ Emily, if you don't know that, then I don't know what else to say." 

"There is nothing you can say." Her reply was dry and cold. "You obviously love her more." Her eyes were hard and cold, and that hurt him so much; she used to look at him like he was the only man in the world.

"Don't give me that." He shook his head angrily, looking away.

"Then what should I say, Aaron?" She barked, "That everything Haley has done is okay?"

"She is the mother of my son." He said exasperated, he just wished she could understand that.

"And she has dictated our relationship for the past two years."

"Emily, I wish you could understand that it's not easy for me. It's not easy to be in this situation, she is the mother of my child."

Emily smirked again, shaking her head as once again tears pooled in her eyes; this was exactly why they were in this situation…because he had allowed his ex-wife to take control over his life and their relationship and had managed to slowly split them apart. Ever since Haley found out they were dating, she had become a nightmare in their relationship. At first, it had been little things like her calling him when he was with Emily to talk about Jack. Or, changing plans on him with Jack's weekend and ruining their plans together as a couple. Then, it became more obsessive, when she started to completely mess with Jack's and Aaron's weekend in order to stop him from seeing Emily. Naturally, Aaron didn't want to have a custody battle with her and traumatize Jack even more; he didn't want to fight with his ex about when he got to keep Jack each weekend. He knew Jack was having enough issues as it was, and he and Haley fighting over him was not an option now. Jack was only four years old, and he was having some issues adapting and being around people. Haley blamed that on Aaron walking out of their relationship even though it was she who had cheated and left him. So, he let Haley get away with her machinations for a while, that was, until his relationship with Emily began to have issues because of that.

At first, it was small arguments where they didn't necessarily agree with his decision, either they had to change their date plans, or not go out at all. It upset Emily, but she was trying to be supportive, and even though they disagreed and would have small fights about it, it was nothing a bouquet of flowers and a great night of cuddling didn't fix. But, then the fights became more intense, and Emily necessarily didn't get over the fights as quickly as she used to. They would fight loudly, and she would leave his place slamming the door, and they wouldn't talk for a few days, but even then, they still managed to get back to that place again. But now, everything was so damaged that Emily was snappy all the time, and they hardly ever spent time together even though they were engaged. When they actually did spend time together, it usually ended in a fight, and they had not moved in together for the same reason…Haley.

In a way, Aaron was glad, because they would have killed each other had they moved in together, and it would have been worse for Jack to see them fight so much. But, he also loved Emily more than anything, he really did, and it broke his heart that their relationship had become so damaged because of his ex-wife. He was absolutely sure that every single fight he had with Emily during their entire relationship was because of Haley, and he could understand why the brunette was so hurt.

"I can't do this anymore." Emily said, with tears in her eyes.

"Em, please." He just wished she could understand how hard it was for him to be in the middle of this.

She reached into her purse pulling out a little black velvet box and setting it in front of him. His heart dropped, and he looked at her sadly…he didn't need to open it to know what it was, he knew that box perfectly. It was the engagement ring he had bought for her a year ago. He had not even realized she wasn't wearing the ring anymore, God only knew when she had taken it off any way. Aaron had been so focused on the situation with Jack and Haley, he hadn't noticed whether she was even wearing it. He reached for her hand in desperation; he didn't know what else to do.

"Baby, don't do this, please…." He begged, trying to hold her hand.

"I can't do this, Aaron, not anymore." She said, pulling her hand away from him as tears finally started to roll down her cheeks. He wanted to pull her into his arms so badly, but she was so upset, and he knew that would be a very bad move. He hated to see Emily cry, especially when he caused those tears, right now, he just wished he could make things better.

"I just wish you could understand." He said sadly, it was a lot more complex than Emily thought it was.

"I understand perfectly fine, I have understood for almost two years...it will never change, she will always have first priority in your life no matter what!"

"That's not true, Em, I love you, I have for a long time, it's you who owns my heart."

"Yet, you do anything she wants even if it gets in the middle of our relationship."

"You know that's not true, Emily." he defended himself, but she just glared at him. It wasn't true, not really, anyway. He had allowed Haley to blackmail him using Jack as an excuse and letting it come between him and Emily for a very long time, and he was aware of that, but it was so much more complicated than that.

"It will change, I promise you." He vowed, but Emily shook her head "no".

"You've said that in the past, and it changes for a few weeks, but then it goes back to the same…her controlling every single thing we do. Our time together, our time with Jack, God, Aaron, I'm engaged to you, and I can't even spend time with your son without her throwing a fit about it."

"He's her son, Em, she's just being over protective."

"Stop justifying her actions!" Emily said, almost too loud getting the attention of a few nearby tables. "He is your son, too, and I'm not a criminal; we've been together for two damn years, Aaron."

"Look, I'll talk to Haley…everything will change from now on."

"It's never going to change, you've said that a hundred times, you've promised me so many times this will change and it never does, I can't do this anymore." She cried.

"Obviously, Haley means so much to you that we can't even live together because of _**her.**_ "

"She threatened to take my son away, Emily, and move to another state. What was I supposed to do?"

"Don't give me that crap, Aaron, you could have gone to a lawyer if you really wanted to end all of this. It could have made a difference."

"I don't want Jack in the middle of a custody battle." Aaron responded, in a defensive tone.

"He is already in the middle of a custody battle!" She snapped. "You can't even spend an entire weekend with your own child without her approval and interference."

"I don't know what you want me to say." He replied, defeated.

"I don't want you to say anything, Aaron, I am done!" Emily wiped away her tears. "I love you, but I can't do this anymore. I won't let your ex-wife dictate my happiness."

"It's our happiness." Aaron said sadly, looking at her and the ring.

"Oh really?" She questioned. "Because from where I'm standing, the only thing that matters to you is _**her**_ happiness and what _**she**_ wants."

"That is not fair."

"And you think it's fair that I can't even spend our anniversary with my fiancé because his ex-wife managed to set up some bullshit to keep him away from me!" Emily barked angrily, her eyes full of tears.

"Sweetheart, I won't let that happen anymore."

"I have to go." She said, wiping her eyes one last time and standing up from the table.

"Emily, please let me fix this." Aaron begged.

"It can't be fixed, not this time." She said sadly, walking away and leaving him alone in the coffee shop staring at the velvet box on the table.

He had proposed to her a year ago, she was his entire happiness; despite the fights they were having, he had never loved anyone the way he loved Emily. He had never felt like this about anyone, she made him so happy, she and Jack were the light in his eyes, and the reason why he got up every morning. If only he had put a stop to Haley's bullshit when he was supposed to, or like he was supposed to, that was all Emily had ever asked from him, and yet he hadn't been able to do it.

" _ **A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them." John C. Maxwell**_


	2. Chapter 2

Fragments of Love

Chapter 2: In the Name of Blood.

 _ **"The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward"**_ __ ** _Steve Maraboli_**

 **Emily sat at the edge of the ambulance while the paramedics worked on her forehead. She had taken a pretty bad blow to her head, and now they were stitching her up. On the case, she had been presented as a civilian to be able to apprehend the unsub…the team had suggested it as their best solution at catching their guy. Emily fit the profile, and she would have no problem getting access to his house where he was carving the victim's heart out of her body after raping and torturing them for days. They were running out of time, and now he was holding another woman captive, and they needed to go in. Emily gained quick access; however, it was not the outcome they expected when the unsub struck Emily on the head with a large piece of wood. Thankfully, she was able to page the team in, and they went in before the unsub's son managed to shoot Emily. Now, the unsub was arrested, and Emily had a small cut on the top of her head and probably a minor concussion. As the paramedics cleaned the wound on her head, she sat there quietly. She didn't regret what she had done since she had saved a woman's life, and that was all that mattered to her. From the corner of her eye, she saw her Unit Chief approaching the ambulance, and she held her breath…even after three months from their break up, he still had that effect on her.**

 **"How do you feel?" He asked, watching as the paramedics finished bandaging her up.**

 **"I'll live, it's nothing."**

 **"She probably needs to be checked by her doctor in case she has a concussion." the paramedic suggested.**

 **"I'm fine." Emily argued.**

 **"I'll take you to the doctor when we land." Hotch stated, walking away, Emily knew he wasn't asking. This was his full Unit Chief tone, and although they had not spoken much in the past three months, he was still her boss.**

 **She sighed knowing that there was nothing she could do, as much as she just wished she could go home and get under her covers and cuddle with the new kitten she had just acquired. She knew she had no choice, Hotch was set in his ways, and he would haul her to the hospital if he had to, and she knew that.**

 **By the time the team made it back to the BAU it was already dark outside. Emily was exhausted and her head was exploding; she tried to sneak away from Hotch and just make her way home, but he caught up with her in the parking lot.**

 **"Prentiss…" He called, stopping in front of her and blocking her from getting into her car.  
**

"Give me your keys!" He demanded.

"I don't need to see a doctor, Hotch, it was a minor scrap." She said through clenched teeth.

"You could have a concussion, I'm not arguing with you…give me the keys." He stated more firmly. Emily glared at him, she wanted to tell him to fuck off and mind his own business, but he was still her boss, and they were still on FBI property. She huffed angrily and handed him the keys as he guided her to his truck, opening the door for her.

Emily remained quiet as he got in the driver's seat and buckled his seat belt. She opted for staring out the window instead of talking to him. She was annoyed with him, and to be honest with herself, she had been avoiding him since they broke up.

"I know you hate me, but I am only doing this because I still care about you."

Emily's mouth dropped at both his statement, and the sudden declaration of feelings.

"I didn't say that, I don't hate you, Hotch."

"Right!" He smirked.

"I don't!" She turned to look at him, but she sighed when she saw the look on his face.

"Aaron,... it has been weird, things are a little different now."

"I just thought that after what happened, we could still be friends, we used to be really good friends."

"We are still friends, Hotch." She said, feeling nostalgic. "And, I still care about you, too, I've just been dealing with a lot lately."

"I know, I just want you to know I'm still here for you if you ever need anything."

Emily looked down and closed her eyes so he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. She still loved him, God, but she did, but everything was better this way.

"The same goes for you, Aaron."

They sat in an awkward silence until they arrived at the hospital. Hotch made sure Emily got an x-ray and every test that was necessary to make sure she was okay. It turned out she did have a small concussion, and they prescribed pain medication to help ease the pain.

About midnight that same day, they were driving back from the hospital to Emily's house. She was already feeling a little drowsy from the medication they had given her, and now she was comfortably sitting in the passenger seat looking out the window.

"How is Jack?" She asked suddenly. She had been meaning to ask him for a long time. Despite their troubles, she loved Jack and missed the little boy.

"He's doing okay, he's having some issues with his behavior, they are trying to test him for autism." 

Emily stared at him in shock, she knew Jack had some issues adapting around others, but she didn't know it was that serious.

"I'm sorry, Aaron...I…didn't know...is Jack okay?"

"He is, we don't know anything for sure yet, he's so little still it's difficult to make a proper diagnosis at his age."

"Have you seen anyone?"

"We have, they're still testing him so we'll know more later."

Emily nodded, suddenly she felt sad for him, she knew how much Jack meant to him, and that this was probably killing him. She didn't know if it was the medication, or Hotch's news, but she felt like crying and staying in bed. Of course, she had not had a chance to dwell on their break up, she kind of just pushed it to the back of her mind and moved on.

When they arrived at her place, he opened the truck door for her and held her hand; Emily was slightly drowsy so Hotch helped her inside the apartment. She sat on the couch taking her boots off while Hotch placed her go bag in her closet by the door just as she always had.

"Do you want me to make you 'sleepy time tea' or just regular?" He asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Hotch, you don't have to do that, it's okay, I'll be okay for the rest of the night." She responded, shaking her head.

"I'm not going anywhere until you're in bed sleeping, so regular or sleepy time?" He asked again, giving her a look.

"Regular" She sighed, rolling her eyes. Sergio, the little black cat she had acquired, came darting into the living room and jumped on the couch to greet his owner.

"You got a cat!?" Hotch asked incredulously, looking at her petting the sleek little black cat.

"He's so cute, isn't he?" She asked with a real smile on her face, cradling the cat against her chest saying, "You're such a cute kitty, aren't you?" Emily baby talked with the cat.

Hotch came over to the living room where she was sitting with her cup of tea, while he was looking at the cat a little apprehensively. He had never been a big fan of cats, and he knew she had always wanted one, but kept herself from getting one because of him.

"Hey there, baby, this is Hotch, my boss?" She told the cat as if he was a real person. "Hotch, this is Sergio."

"Sergio?" He asked perplexed, looking at the beautiful brunette that still owned his heart; Hotch was still looking at the cat like he was going to jump on him. Sergio eyed him and made a weird sound that confirmed Hotch's previous thought…the cat didn't like him one bit.

"I don't think he likes me." Hotch said, looking at the black ball of fur.

"Oh, he's a sweetheart, Hotch, look at his sweet, innocent face." Emily pouted and he smirked…innocent was the last word that crossed his mind when he looked at the cat. To Hotch, he looked evil, and he was sure as soon as Emily set the feline down, he would jump on him…this is why he hated cats… they were so sneaky and shady.

"Do you want me to help you into the bedroom?" He offered, changing the subject.

"No." Emily laughed, "I can walk up and down stairs, you know, I'm not handicapped." She said, a little annoyed.

"No, but you just took a hit to the head, you have a concussion, and you are under the influence of medication, we don't need to be going back to the hospital because you broke your leg trying to make it up the stairs." 

"God, you can be so infuriating sometimes." Emily said, shaking her head and looking at him. He tried to decipher if she was upset…but not really, she was almost smiling, and he knew her better than she knew herself.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." He said, picking her up in his arms bridal style and taking her upstairs while she held her cup of tea.

He placed her gently on the bed and then took the mug from her hands placing it on the nightstand. Hotch then walked to her chest and pulled out a pair of pajamas for her and sitting on the bed next to her.

"Are you going to undress me, too? I'm not two years old." Her voice sounded drowsier as if she was drunk, it was kind of adorable he had to admit to himself.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." Hotch replied, smiling at her.

"Hotch, behave." She swatted at him, smiling and blushing at the same time. Emily stood up and undressed herself while he sat on her bed waiting; once she was ready for bed, he came around stepping in front of her.

"Try to get some rest, I'll be downstairs if you need me." 

"You really don't have to stay, Hotch, I really am okay." She said, looking at him with sleepy eyes. He smiled and without being able to stop himself, he pulled her into a hug.

"I know, Em, but I'm not leaving, I want to make sure you're okay in the morning."

"I'm sorry about Jack." She blurted out, holding him close and closing her eyes, his embrace had always been so comforting.

"I'm sorry I failed you, I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." He whispered, as tears fell from her eyes. They stood there for a while in a tight embrace until he pulled away looking at her, he really needed to get her in bed.

"Come on, let's get you in bed." Hotch said softly.

Emily cuddled under the blankets, she was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. He reached to turn off her lamp and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Hotch?" She called, as he was about to walk out.

"Yeah?" He turned to look at her.

"Can you stay with me?" She asked, almost in a whisper.

He smiled and made his way back to her bed, carefully undressing himself and sliding under the blankets. Even as out of it as she was, she cuddled next to him, and he wrapped her in his arms running his fingers through her dark hair shushing her to sleep.

"I will always love you, Emily." He said softly.

"I will always love you, too, Aaron, but she is always going to be there, no matter what." She managed to blurt out before she fell asleep.

The following morning, Emily woke up still in his arms; the painkillers still made her feel quite drowsy, but she remained in his arms…it felt too good to move. Despite what was going on in their lives, she loved him, she had for two years, it had only been three months since their break up. She still had mixed emotions and feelings, but she knew she still loved him.

He placed a kiss on the top of her head and caressed her cheek, even with her eyes closed, he knew she was okay.

"Are you feeling okay?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, but my head still hurts." Emily said sleepily.

"It's a concussion, sweetheart, it will hurt for a few days."

"Thank you for everything you did last night." She said, finally opening her eyes and looking at him with her dark brown eyes.

"I told you, I still love you, and I'll do anything for you...I always will."

Emily smiled at him, knowing she wanted to kiss him so badly, and tell him that she loved him, too. It was he who captured her lips first in a soft kiss, pulling her close; the kiss was about to turn passionate when his cellphone rang on the nightstand. He pulled away and reached for his phone without looking at the caller ID.

"Hotchner." He said in his full Unit Chief mode.

"What's going on, Haley?" She heard him say and sat up in bed.

"Okay, don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can." Hotch said, hanging up the phone. Emily closed her eyes… _of course, it had to be her, it was always her._

"Hey, I'm sorry, I have..."

"You have to go see Haley." Emily finished for him; she wasn't even mad anymore…she was so over this, and they were not even together anymore.

"Em…"

"No worries, Hotch, it's fine, go take care of your family. Thank you for everything you did last night." Emily said, getting out of bed and walking into her bathroom.

Hotch wanted to go after her, but he knew it was worthless. This was exactly why they had broken up. He got dressed and left her apartment, hoping that whatever was going on with Haley and Jack was worth it…after all, he had lost the love of his life already because of it.

" _ **I think that you never fall out of love with somebody, you just let go and move on". Ashley Rickards**_


	3. Chapter 3

Fragments of Love

Chapter 3: Lo-Fi

" _ **To help yourself, you must be yourself. Be the best that you can be. When you make a mistake, learn from it, pick yourself up and move on." Dave Pelzer**_ _ **  
**_

The team was on the way to New York for a new case; the city had a series of random shootings, and they seemed to be connected somehow. Five shootings in two weeks, a single shot to the head with a .22 caliber gun, the unsub was striking in daylight, and the shootings were beginning to escalate. As they debriefed on the plane, Hotch explained the details of the case to his team and how each victim had been chosen, while his team paid close attention looking at the pictures in front of them…they knew this case could turn into a horrible situation.

"These facts don't make sense, there's no common victimology, no robbery, no geographical connection, and they don't have any leads." Reid pointed out looking through his file with a concerned face.

"No, there's nothing, that's why we are working as an FBI/NYPD taskforce, Hotch said.

"Are they going to give us any trouble?" Dave asked, knowing that some detectives did not like to cooperate with them.

"Kate Joyner heads up the New York FBI Field Office, she's the one who called me." Hotch said, looking at Rossi directly.

"Joyner? Isn't she British, I know her." Morgan stated.

"She has dual citizenship…her father is British, and her mother is American." The leader responded. "She was a big deal at Scotland Yard."

"I heard she is a real pain in the ass." Morgan succinctly stated.

"I don't have that impression." Hotch said, looking at Morgan with a serious face.

"You actually know her?" Emily asked, unable to control herself.

"Yeah...we um...liaised when she was still at Scotland Yard." He said, looking at his ex-girlfriend; this was a part of his past he had never shared with the brunette.

Emily was not sure if it was the fact that he took too long to answer, or the way he was looking at her, but she could tell there was more to the story than he had let on.

"Is she any good?" Dave asked since they were all worried about the case.

"Yes, we're very lucky to have her." He confirmed, and Emily eyed him again, but she said nothing. Instead, she decided to focus on the case again and not her Unit Chief.

When they arrived at the New York Police Department, they were greeted by one of the detectives who immediately took them to meet Kate Joyner. Emily's mouth dropped open when she saw the detective…she was young, blond and pretty; of course, JJ whispering in Garcia's ear that she looked exactly like Haley didn't make Emily feel any better, neither did the way Kate Joyner greeted Hotch, like he was an old friend she had not seen in years, but maybe he was.

"Aaron, it's so nice to see you again!"

"Kate, it's so nice seeing you, too…this is my team…Dave Rossi, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia and Spencer Reid."

"Thanks for coming so quickly, if there's anything you need, please just let us know." 

"Ma'am, I need to get into the city's surveillance system." Garcia said politely.

"Of course, Shelly will take you there." Joyner said, smiling at Penelope.

Two detectives approached the group, and Joyner made a face when they arrived.

"These are detectives Cooper and Brustin, they will be working with you on this case." the blonde woman said.

"I just ask that everything is run by me, please." Joyner said, shooting a severe look at the detectives.

"Of course, Ma'am." The older guy said with a slight smirk.

"Aaron, may I have a word with you in private?" Kate said, turning to look at Aaron. Emily just gave her boss a look and then looked at Joyner. Yes, there definitely had been more than just a working relationship between them from what she could tell.

"Of course, please excuse us." He said, walking away with her, leaving the team alone with the detectives. The team could tell that they were not very happy to have the team there at all, in fact, they looked pissed and annoyed by their presence.

"So, I guess this is where the amazing BAU steps in to tell us how to do our job." Cooper said sarcastically.

"We are only here to help, we're just another resource." Emily said, trying to smooth things over.

"Oh yeah, then profile me…what am I thinking?" He asked bluntly, looking at the brunette annoyed.

"It's never going to happen." Emily responded, shaking her head, smirking.

"No offense, but we have five murders already, I hope your profiling gets better than that." And with that, he walked away from the team.

Now, the team was not only worried about the fact that they had five murders, but also about the fact that these detectives were not going to cooperate with them. There seemed to be some type of friction between Kate Joyner and the detectives, and that could complicate the case for the team. Rossi, Morgan and JJ headed to the first crime scene with Detective Brustin, while Reid and Emily stayed with Cooper at the police station to create a geographical profile. Emily was already annoyed about the fact that Cooper was being a major jerk, and on top of that, Hotch had not returned from his private talk with Joyner, and that make her feel uneasy.

The case overall was a very difficult one, and they had to deal with attitude from the detectives, plus, they had two more shootings while they were there. Joyner was getting stressed out, and she seemed to be taking it out on her detectives, who, in their own way, made it impossible for the team to work together. Morgan was starting to have some issues with Joyner as well, since she seemed to be giving him attitude for no reason, only for them to later find out she was acting like that because the powers that be had Morgan on top of the list to replace her if anything went wrong and the case wasn't quickly solved.

On top of everything going on, Kate Joyner seemed to be getting too close to Hotch, closer than Emily was comfortable with; it was then she realized she still had feelings for him. Of course, they had only been broken up for a little over six months and things were not easy for them. They had managed to stay professional at work, but she was still in love with him, after all, they had been together for two years, part of that time engaged. It was not that easy to let go of her feelings for him, and she probably would never stop loving him, no matter what. But, she knew more than anyone that they could never get back together. Haley would always be a part of his life, and she would never let them be happy, Emily was sure of that. It was best to keep things like that; one day, she would be able to get over him and maybe things would be better. Of course, seeing him so close to Kate Joyner made her feel weird, they were not even together anymore, and she was jealous about this woman, and she hated to feel this way. The fact that Kate was now openly flirting with him in front of the team made her feel even more sick. Hotch had never been one to act unprofessionally in the field even when he and Emily had been together, and here he was letting this woman openly flirt with him in front of everyone. At first, she started with little comments about how good he looked after so many years and how the BAU was doing him good. Then, she openly said he had become so handsome with time, and she made a comment about when they used to work together back while he was at Scotland Yard.

By the time they were done solving the case, Emily was so ready to go home, and she was pissed with Hotch. Even if they were not together anymore, he should at least respect the fact that they were at work and she was there. She was hurt that he didn't even bother to hide anything from her; it was like he was attracted to Joyner. They were at the NYPD closing the case, and the detectives were thanking the team for helping them solve the case. It was almost eight at night, and Hotch had decided to let the team stay at the hotel that night and fly home in the morning. Everyone was tired and needed to rest; Rossi and Morgan were on their way to pick up Garcia from another office where she had been monitoring the cameras. JJ and Reid were talking to the press about the case and how they managed to solve it. Emily, Hotch and Kate were at the station picking up files and finalizing the case so they could head back to the Hotel.

"Aaron, I have no way to thank you for all your help."

"Of course, that's what we're here for."

"Hey, do you want to go to dinner? My treat?" Kate asked, as Emily turned to look at them in shock.

"We can catch up and talk, it's not like you're married anymore." she said, smiling at him.

"I'm going to head to the hotel, I'll leave you two alone...to have fun." Emily said in a tone that let Hotch realize she was beyond hurt and pissed at the same time. Kate just looked at Emily walking away unable to understand what was going on.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked, perplexed.

"Kate..." Hotch said, looking at her. "Emily is my girlfriend." He said, closing his eyes and shaking his head sadly.

"Oh my God, Aaron, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were seeing someone. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or her."

"It's okay, mmm, she and I...are having some issues right now...and I just...look I have to go I am sorry." He said, looking at Kate sadly. He was not mad at her, after all, it wasn't her fault.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's not your fault, thank you for everything." He said, heading out of the police station and rushing after Emily, but he didn't see her in the parking lot. She must have taken one of the SUV's back to the hotel.

One hour later, the entire team was back at the hotel; they had agreed to meet down in the restaurant area to have dinner and maybe a drink after everyone freshened up. Emily, however, remained in her room without responding to anyone's text messages. Aaron made his way to her room without being able to stop himself. He knocked on her door hoping she would open it for him. He knew she was upset, but he had to explain himself to her. The door swung open revealing Emily in sweat pants and a T-Shirt…her still semi-wet hair was in a ponytail, and her eyes were evidently red.

"What do you want, Hotch?"

"Em, may I come in for a second?" He asked, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms.

"I don't think this is a good time, I have a headache and…"

"Emily, what you saw back at the station is not what you think." He cut her off.

"Look, you don't have to explain anything to me."

"Just listen to me for five minutes, please..."

"Aaron, just leave, please, I really don't care."

"I'm not seeing her or anyone, and I didn't go with her...I told her about us." 

"What about us?" Emily asked, hurt. "Look, Aaron, we broke up six months ago, you don't have to explain anything to me, you can date whomever you want."

"But, I'm not, Emily, I still lo..."

"Maybe you should have…it's time for you to start seeing someone." She cut him off.

"I don't want to see anyone, I only want to be with you."

"Aaron, I think it's time for us to move on, we both know we're never getting back together, and maybe we both need to start seeing other people." Emily said, fighting back tears in her eyes.

"Is that what you want? Do you want to start seeing someone else?"

"I think it's for the best." She said, while her heart broke in a million pieces.

"Emily..."

"Look, we're never getting back together, and you deserve to be happy, we both do."

"I was happy with you." He said sadly looking at her, "I thought you were happy, too, maybe I was wrong."

"I was not happy, Aaron." She said, as her eyes filled with tears. "I loved you more than anyone, I've never loved anyone the way I loved you." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"But, I wasn't happy anymore...and you know that, we will never be able to be happy together, not while she is alive."

"I will do anything you want, Em, I love you, please…"

"You can't give me what I want, not as long as Haley is controlling your life, and it will never change, I can't do this to myself anymore."

"So, that is it?" He asked angrily. "You're giving up on us? Goddammit, Emily, we were engaged."

"And your ex-wife managed to break us up, and I'll not put myself through that again; I don't want to see our life in ten years when we have kids and realize she still has control of our lives." 

"I don't know what else to do to fix this."

"You can fix it Aaron! The only thing you had to do, you refused to do for two damn years…it's too late!" She said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"So this is it? We see other people, and we are supposed to just forget about the love we feel for each other?" Aaron asked, hopeless and hurt.

"We have to move on, Aaron, you should have gone to that dinner with Kate." She said, watching Aaron just shake his head.

"Is that what you really want, Em? You want to see someone else?"

"I do." Emily lied, as much as she still loved him, she knew they had to move on and she had to let him be happy.

"Okay, I will leave you alone then." He said, walking away and looking down. He loved Emily more than he had ever loved anyone, even Haley. He had been patiently waiting for her, hoping it was just a temporary thing, hoping they would get back together soon. But, it seemed like she was ready to move on and see other people, maybe it was time for him to let go of her as well and just focus on his son.

" _ **Every day is a new day, and you'll never be able to find happiness if you don't move on." Carrie Underwood**_ _ **  
**_


End file.
